Update March 2021 - See What's Happening At LACBA Right Now

March 2021

LACBA.ORG | UPDATE ARCHIVE | CALENDAR | ONLINE CLE | MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

AROUND THE BAR

LACBA Reaches Satisfactory

Settlement with Former Landlord

As discussed in a recent message to all members, LACBA has long been working to control costs and to renegotiate its burdensome long-term commercial lease at 1055 West Seventh Street, Los Angeles. We had reported that, if those negotiations were unsuccessful, LACBA was considering a strategic restructuring of its debt to resolve that lease obligation. We are now pleased to report that LACBA has reached a satisfactory settlement with its former landlord and so will not have to pursue any restructuring. LACBA's Board of Trustees approved the settlement agreement at a special meeting on February 18.

This favorable development, combined with LACBA's recent move to new offices at 200 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, heralds a bright new day for LACBA. With efficiencies achieved, expenses in check, and the lease issue resolved, LACBA's leadership and staff can devote their time and the Association's resources to better serving our members, our 27 practice sections, our many committees, and the broader legal community. With these challenges now behind us, LACBA will emerge from the pandemic strong and healthy as the voice of the lawyers of Los Angeles County.

LACBA’s Headquarters Moves Closer to

Los Angeles Superior Court

The new location will be closer to the Los Angeles Superior Court and reduce LACBA’s office footprint. For years, LACBA has been working diligently to control costs, and this move saves LACBA roughly 80% on the monthly lease.

LACBA ensures members that the association will continue to reinvent itself as an organization that will provide thought leadership and important events, including networking, without its members needing to battle Los Angeles traffic. Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor will continue to rely on LACBA’s reach to communicate information about presiding orders. This move will allow LACBA to focus on serving members, strengthen relationships with affiliate bar associations, and has cleared the way for a very bright future.

LACBA's new office location:

The Los Angeles County Bar Association

200 South Spring Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012

LACBA Officer and Board of Trustee Nominations

The nominations for the LACBA 2021-2022 Officers and Board of Trustees are available HERE .

President-Elect Brad Pauley will automatically become LACBA President.

LACBA's 2021 Election Rules Available

Election Rules are now available. Here are important dates to note. The deadline for petitions and written nominations for office is April 15, 2021 by 5:00 p.m. Anyone interested in voting in a potential election must be a LACBA member no later than April 20, 2021.

California LAW Pathways Honors LACBA's High School Mentoring Program with Wilson Magnet High School Law Academy

LACBA's High School Mentoring Program received this award "based on its 10-year history of an extraordinary mentoring program under the leadership of Ann Park, who brings amazing speakers, lawyers, and judges to work directly with the students, and a committed and hard-working teaching team consistently focused on student success for the past decade under the leadership of LAW Pathway coordinator/teacher Quetzal Roura," said Ruthe Ashley, Executive Director Emeritus of California LAW Pathways. View the virtual award ceremony here.

SmartLaw Cannabis Pro Bono Panel Seeks Panelists

The SmartLaw Cannabis Pro Bono Panel is actively seeking panelists to provide pro bono cannabis related legal referrals to select individuals verified through the City's Social Equity Program.

The City's Social Equity Program is designed to acknowledge and address the harm caused by the War on Drugs and the disparate enforcement of cannabis prohibition in past decades. Many of the Social Equity Individual Applicants are first-time business owners and require assistance to navigate the complexities of new business arrangements and the City’s licensing process. Social Equity Individual Applicants may also worry that they are being taken advantage of by sophisticated investors, landlords or business partners, or that their business arrangements do not comply with the City's requirements for ownership and voting rights. Learn how to be a pro bono panelist here.

Racial Justice Speakers Series –

A Panel Discussion Entitled "Racial Justice: Where Do We Start?"

LACBA President’s Task Force on Racial and Social Justice presented the first event in its Racial Justice Speakers Series – a panel discussion entitled “Racial Justice: Where Do We Start?”

The distinguished panelists for this inaugural event were Connie Rice, a former member of President Obama’s Twenty-First Century Task Force on Policing and author of “Power Concedes Nothing;” Michael Lawson, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League; and John Gibson, a Partner at DLA Piper. The panel discussion was moderated by LACBA member and Winston & Strawn attorney Jason Parnell.

Members of LACBA and the general public were invited to virtually join these prominent members of the Los Angeles legal community and hear their thoughts regarding issues of racial justice in the legal system, policing, and the larger community. The candid discussion was designed to broaden the audience’s perspectives and help members of the audience better advocate for racial justice and equality in their daily lives. During the discussion, the panelists focused on the need to reform our criminal justice system, and the role that lawyers need to have in that important and timely process. In addition, the panelists focused on some of the challenges and barriers that attorneys of color face in the legal community and broader society in a very racially-charged year filled with protests, headlines, civil unrest, and a deadly pandemic. More than 300 individuals attended this informative and thought-provoking event. This Racial Justice Speakers Series event was generously sponsored by more than a dozen law firms and other organizations, and was also supported by numerous LACBA Sections and Committees as well as LACBA Affiliate and Affinity Bar Associations. If you missed the presentation, the video is available here.

Upcoming Free Networking Meetings

Have you attended one of LACBA's Virtual Networking Meetings?

As a LACBA Member, you can attend as many networking meetings as you want and are encouraged to attend as many meetings as you can to build an effective referral network.

Call for LACBA Committee Volunteers

Are you passionate about making a difference in a particular area of law or law related issue? Serving on a LACBA committee is an opportunity to make a difference in the legal profession and practice of law by addressing issues and challenges facing attorneys and the community today. If you would like to be considered to serve on a committee, the deadline to complete and submit your application is April 16, 2021 for bar year 2021-22.

Learn more>

COUNSEL FOR JUSTICE

A Message from Counsel for Justice President Susan Koehler Sullivan

Dear LACBA Members and CFJ Supporters,

A year ago we could not possibly have imagined how our lives would drastically change. As the pandemic has swept across the world, taking the lives and livelihoods of so many, we have all had to adapt to the many changes and challenges around us. During this time period, the LACBA Counsel for Justice Pro Bono Projects, and particularly its amazing Project Directors, staff and volunteers, pushed ahead -- facing each new obstacle with determination and optimism.